Explaining the title: I am thirty-something Latino who has a fondness for the Japanese culture and speak Spanglish--Spanish and English. Some people say "Span-English" so I mixed it with "Engrish," which is how some Japanese pronounce English.

Sunday, October 16

Once Upon A Time - Part One - Stories Told

UPDATED 11/14/16
"Once Upon A Time" has been running for 5 years on ABC. Season 6 is about 'Untold stories' and many stories have been told, which ones are left? You would be surprised, there are many Disney stories and other literature yet to be told. Many of the characters were tied to either Snow, the evil Queen or Rumpelstiltskin. I'll try to not spoil. About 28 stories have been adapted...

Snow White is much braver and a hero on her own write. Prince Charming has his own backstory and the dwarves as well. Regina has a huge big backstory different from the Disney movie.

Pinocchio

Characters: Pinocchio, Gepetto, Jiminy, Blue Fairy

Actors: Eion Bailey, Tony Amendola, Raphael Sbarge

Seasons: 1, 2, 4B (Pinocchio); 1-4, 6 (Jiminy)

Arcs: 1, 2 and Villains

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Disney Character: No

Jiminy becomes Archie Hopper, therapist that is a character from Seasons 1-4 in Storybrooke, he didn't appear in S5 and reappears in S6. Their backstories are different as Jiminy is friends with Snow and influenced Gepetto as a kid. Blue Fairy appeared in Seasons 1-2 and occasionally here and there.

Rumplestiltskin

Actor: Robert Carlyle

Seasons: All

Arcs: All

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Story: No

He is a villain and anti-hero. He is Hook's "Crocodile" and Beauty's "Beast." He is even Peter Pan's son!

Little Red Riding Hood

Characters: Red, Granny

Actress: Meghan Opry

Seasons: 1-2, 3B, 5B (Red), All (Granny)

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Story: No

Anything I say about her is spoilery but she was part of the cast in season 1 and 2 as Snow's best friend but slowly got phased out.

Beauty and the Beast

Characters: Belle and Gaston

Actress: Emilie de Ravin

Seasons: All (Belle), Gaston (1 and 5B)

Arcs: All (Belle), Gaston (First and Underworld)

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Disney Character: Yes

Belle is a major character, her father has appeared on Storybrooke and Enchanted Forest. Gaston appeared in S1 flashback and later S4B in Underworld played by another actor. The 'Beast' is Rumpelstiltskin, he even dons the Beast outfit. She has the book love as in the Disney character. Lumiere appears as an ally of the Wicked Witch in Season 3B.

Cinderella

Characters: Cinderella, Prince, Godmother, Gus

Actress: Jessy Schram

Seasons: 1, 4 and 6A

Arcs: 1 and Untold Stories

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Disney Character: Sort of

Cinderella appears in Season 1, Rumple kills her godmother and serves the role. We get more backstory in Season 6 as the original actors for Cinderella and Prince appear along with new actors for stepmother and stepsisters. Gus was a mouse that becomes human in Storybrooke and is later killed. Jessy Schram has only appeared in three episodes!

Hansel and Gretel

Seasons: 1 and 5B (Witch)

Arcs: 1 and Underworld (Witch)

Tied to: Evil Queen

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Story: Yes

Hansel and Gretel are one-off characters and even the witch in season one but the witch returns in the Underworld as a minor character.

Kind Midas

Seasons: 1 and 3B time travel

Tied to: Prince Charming

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Close to Story: No

His daughter Abigail is more important to this story as in the first curse she is David/Prince Charming's wife. The myth is more or less the same, with turning things to gold. King Midas turned Abigal's real love into gold.

Frankenstein

Actor: David Anders

Seasons: All (on and off)

Part of Original Curse: Yes

Tied to: Evil Queen, Mad Hatter

Close to story: No

Dr. Whale appears prominently in Season 1 and 2 and then sparingly guest spots, even season 6. Fans were not fond of Frankenstein being used instead of a fairy tale so maybe why he wasn't used more.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Character: Giant, Jack

Season: 2

Part of Original Curse: No

Tied to: Emma and the Dwarves

Close to story: No

The giant, named here Anton. He only appears in Season 2. Jack was actually female, say in a flashback.

Sleeping Beauty

Characters: Aurora (2, 3, 4), Philip (2), Maleficent (1 and 4B)

Actors: Sarah Bolger, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Julian Morris

Arcs: Season 2 and Villains

Part of Original Curse: No

Close to Disney Character: yes

Aurora has appeared here and there. She and Philip were introduced in Season 2, tied with Cora. Maleficent appeared in flashbacks in Season 1, a dragon at end of Season 1 and reincarnated in Season 4B Villains arc.

Mulan

Seasons: 2, 3, 5

Actress: Jamie Chung

Part of Original Curse: No

Tied to: Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, Ruby, Merida

Arcs: Season 2, Peter Pan, Camelot and Underworld

Close to Disney Character: Sort of

We don't really see her Mulan film story but told about it, she kind of plays second fiddle. She even has a crush on Aurora.

Mad Hatter was introduced in Season 1. Cora was revealed to be the Queen of Hearts in Season 2, Alice and other characters appeared in Once Upon A Time: Wonderland. Will, the Knave of Hearts appeared in Season 4 of OUAT and was part of Robin Hood's merrymen.

It is actual role reversal as Peter Pan is the villain and Hook is the hero. Hook has a bigger backstory with Rumple. Tinkerbell is tied to Evil Queen. Silver mist from the Tinkerbell movies appeared in Once Upon A Time: Wonderland.

Little Mermaid

Characters: Ariel, Eric and Ursula (later appears in Season 4)

Seasons: 3A and 4B

Actress: JoAnna Garcia Swisher

Part of original Curse: No

Tied to: Snow and evil Queen

Arcs: Peter Pan and Villains

She appeared in flashbacks and later in Storybrooke. She later returned to her love Prince Eric. She is very close to the Disney version with the name and outfit. Ursula was not close to her disney version.

Rapunzel

Season: 3B

Actress: Alexandra Metz

Part of original Curse: No

Tied to: Prince Charming

Arc: Wicked Witch

Close to Disney Character: No

She only appears in the Enchanted Forest, no romantic interest.

Wizard of Oz

Characters: Wicked Witch, Dorothy, Wizard of Oz, Good Witch of North

Season: 3B, 4B - on

Actress: Rebecca Mader (Wicked Witch)

Part of Original Curse: No

Made own Curse: Yes

Tied to: Evil Queen

Arc: Wicked Witch, Camelot, Underworld, Untold Stories

Close to Original Book Character: No

Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the East is the most prominent character as Regina's sister. Dorothy was briefly seen as a child in 3B flashback and then in 5B. Zelena was introduced in Season 3B and then returned at the end of 4B villains arc and stayed on.

Elsa and Anna

Season: 4A

Actresses: Georgina Haig and Elizabeth Lail

Part of original Curse: No

Tied to: Emma Swan, Belle and Prince Charming

Arc: Snow Queen

Close to Disney Character: Yes

They were part of Arandelle and temporarily came to Storybrooke. They were VERY close to their Disney versions.

Snow Queen

Season: 4A

Actress: Elizabeth Mitchell

Part of Original Curse: No

Made own curse: Yes

Close to Original Story: No

She was the villainess for Season 4A. Her background was tied to Frozen as a backstory.

Little Bo Peep

Season: 4A

Actress: Robin Weigert

Part of Curse: Kinda? Or Maybe the Second?

Close to Original Poem: No

She is more of a lackey here. In the poem, she is a sweet girl, here she is a tyrant.

Cruella De Vil

Season: 4B, 5B

Actress: Victoria Smurfit

Part of Original Curse: Yes?

Close to Disney: No

She was from a fictional world and then ended up in the Enchanted Forest with powers so not like her original counterpart. Pongo of 101 Dalmatians fall under her spell but has been Hopper's dog since Season 1.

Merida

Season: 5

Actress: Amy Manson

Part of Original Curse: No

Tied to: Emma Swan, Mulan

Arcs: Camelot and Underworld

Close to Pixar Character: Yes

She is an original Pixar character and her storyline is like a continuation as Elsa and Anna's are. Her brothers, the witch and McGuffin appear.

Legend of King Arthur

Characters: Lancelot, Merlin, King Arthur, Queen Gwenoviere

Actors: Sinqua Walls, Elliott Knight, Liam Garrigan

Seasons: 2, 5A (Lancelot), Arthur (5), Merlin (5A)

Arcs: 2 and Camelot

Part of Original Curse: No

Close to Disney Character: No

Lancelot appears in Season 2 in Enchanted Forest. In Season 5A arc, we meet Merlin, Arthur and re-introduced to Lancelot, played by the same actor.

Hercules

Characters: Hercules, Hades, Megara, Zeus

Actors: Greg, Jonathan Whitesell

Season: 5B

Arc: Underworld

Tied to: Snow White and Zelena

Part of Original Curse: No

Close to Disney Character: Sort of

Hades is more of the major character, having backstory with Zelena. Hercules and Meg appear in one episode. Zeus appears in another. Megara and Hercules meet the afterlife here, unlike the movie nor the original myth.

Dr. Jeckyl and Mr Hyde

Actors: Hank Harris, Sam Witwer

Season: 6A

Arc: Untold Stories

Tied to: Rumple

Close to Original Story: Sort of

Like Frankenstein, the story originally didn't have much magic but Rumple of course was involved in this version.